Poll: Obama’s approval rating falls sharply

President Obama’s approval rating has fallen sharply, according to a New York Times-CBS News poll released Monday.

Forty-one percent said they approved of the job the president is doing, down from 50 percent in the same poll taken one month ago, versus 47 percent who said they disapprove.

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That’s a massive swing that falls outside the average of other recent favorability polls, suggesting that the numbers could be an outlier or indicative of the volatile political landscape.

The Real Clear Politics average of polls has Obama near break-even, with 47 percent saying they approve and 47 percent saying they disapprove, and an ABC News-Washington Post poll released on Monday shows 46 percent approval and 50 percent disapproval.

And while the Times-CBS poll released on Monday shows Obama’s favorability under water by 6 percent, a Gallup three-day rolling average of polls shows the president trending upward and in positive territory by 6 percent, with 49 percent approval and 43 percent disapproval.

Gallup’s poll has also been susceptible to wild swings in 2012, moving sharply both in favor of and against the president at various times.

According to the Times-CBS poll, the only group with which Obama maintained his favorability from last month was those making more than $75,000 a year.

The president’s approval rating was dragged down by the 30-to-44 age group, with whom his approval fell 18 percent; those making $30,000 to $50,000 a year, with whom his approval fell 16 percent; and women, with whom he fell 12 percent.

The drop in favorability among women is surprising, as most polls indicate that it’s Republicans who are facing a gender gap. The numbers indicate that neither party has emerged unscathed from last month’s fight over an administration mandate requiring faith-based groups, such as hospitals and universities, to provide birth control.

Still, there is good news for the president, as he leads all of the GOP contenders in head-to-head match-ups.